Bozeman Magazine

The ninth annual Snow and Avalanche Workshop at Montana State University, featuring a panel discussion and graduate research and avalanche awareness presentations, will be held Nov. 8. 

The free, public event will take place on campus in the Strand Union Building’s Ballroom A and be streamed live online.  

Before the public event begins, industry professionals can attend a special presentation focused on the psychological impacts of dealing with avalanches and subsequent rescues. Registration is required for the presentation, titled “Stress Injury Awareness,” which is free and will also be live-streamed. Participants will receive a link to the stream after registering. 

Outdoor goods vendors and sales representatives will be present to display their latest gear and raffle off prizes. 

The Snow and Avalanche Workshop is just one event in MSU’s ongoing avalanche education program. MSU’s Outdoor Recreation Program offers level 1 and 2 avalanche courses along with avalanche rescue clinics, and they partner with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center to give avalanche awareness talks at residence halls. They also rent out safety gear, like beacons, shovels and probes, and maintain a beacon training park. 

“The MSU Snow and Avalanche Workshop is part of how we build a culture of safety around recreation in the winter backcountry,” said Dan Sandberg, senior coordinator of MSU’s Outdoor Recreation Program. “We want students to have all the tools to make informed choices while taking advantage of the amazing recreational opportunities that Bozeman offers.” 

The full schedule for the Snow and Avalanche Workshop is listed below. 

• 2-4 p.m. — Stress Injury Awareness for Avalanche Professionals Training. 
• 4- 5 p.m. — Vendor Hour — Meet and greet representatives from local businesses, community partners and gear representatives. 
• 5-6 p.m. — Awareness Presentations. 
• “Intro to the Workshop and Avalanche Education Resources for Students” by Dan Sandberg, senior coordinator of MSU’s Outdoor Recreation program. 
• “American Avalanche Association (A3) Updates” by Gabrielle Antonioli, A3 Resilience Project manager. 
• “The Landscape of Avalanche Education in Bozeman,” by Shannon Regan, education coordinator for the Friends of Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. 
• “How your Avalanche Center Works for You” by Alex Marienthal, Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center forecaster. 
• 5-7 p.m. — Graduate Research Presentations by MSU students. 
• “Wet-Snow Avalanches” by Josh Lipkowitz. 
• “Impact of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data on Avalanche Forecasts” by Alex Haddad. 
• “Impact-Initiated Avalanches” by Sam Verplanck. 
• 7 p.m. — Panel discussion on mental health resiliency and responding to loss in the mountains.  

More information is available at www.montana.edu/outdoorrecreation/saw/index.html 

To register for the training focused on psychological stress and tools to support industry professionals, visit: www.eventbrite.com/e/msu-saw-stress-injury-awareness-for-avalanche-professionals-tickets-728501807517?aff=oddtdtcreator.